Goliath
by gerbilove
Summary: My version of Scott Westerfeld's finale of epic proportions. I do not own anything!
1. Chapter 1

CH. 1

"Captain Hobbes, Sir?" Deryn tentatively sidestepped through the door, not daring to open the door more than she had too. "You wanted to see me?"

The captain stood, his hand clenched around a piece of paper. Deryn's attention immediately went to it. _Uh-oh_, she thought. This couldn't be good.

"I just received correspondence from the _Minotaur_. A message from your cousin, Jaspert." Alarm bells went off in Deryn's head. What had that pig-nosed bumrag done now?

"He's asked that you be reunited immediately. This is quiet convenient, as we are scheduled to touch down in London, about a week from now. Your cousin will be waiting there."

_ London again_? Deryn wondered. "Excuse me, sir," she ventured, "but I've got a few questions."

Hobbes waved his hand impatiently. "Go on, then!"

"First off, why are we going back to London?" Deryn shrunk inwardly as Hobbes scrutinized her.

"To return Dr. Barlow, naturally," Hobbes was smug in his knowledge. "Now that her business is complete, she has been instructed to return home. Good luck, I'd say. That woman gave us a load of trouble."

Deryn opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it. "Will I be returning to the _Leviathan_, sir?" she asked, frightened of what the answer was.

Hobbes cleared his throat, looking like a disobedient child. "Your cousin makes it quiet clear that you will not be returning to the _Leviathan_."

Deryn's throat tightened with anger. She swore to herself that she would slap the clart out of Jaspert when she was reunited with him.

"Yes sir," she saluted and turned for the door.

"Mr. Sharp?" Hobbes' voice made her stop. She turned back around to face him.

"Yes, sir?"

"It has been an honor working with you."

She nodded. "Thank you, sir. I hope I have been an asset."

"More than you know, Mr. Sharp. More than you know."

Their landing in Regent's Park was almost identical to the one those long months ago, where Deryn had first encountered Dr. Nora Barlow. The animals of the London Zoo scampered nervously about their cages, the normal chatter of the animals silenced in the shadow of the great warship.

Deryn stood clad in her airman's uniform, a thousand thoughts spinning around in her head. Many of them included calling Jaspert any number of swears, and despairing about how she would have to leave her home. But the one that kept resurfacing was her worry about Alek.

They had returned Alek to his grandfather's palace in Vienna, where his fate would be decided. Deryn knew she shouldn't think about Alek anymore- that part of her life was behind her- but she couldn't help it. She knew that she had been in love with him, and though she cursed herself for it, she still found him swirling around her dreams.

The _Leviathan_ was still suspended over 30 feet above the ground, but that's as low as they were going to go. The gondola was being prepped for Dr. Barlow's descent.

Even thought Deryn would be leaving the ship today, she was stubborn to remain a part of the crew for as long as possible. When the other midshipmen grabbed their tether ropes, she was right there with them, descending and anchoring the ship to the ground. When the task was complete, she scanned the crowd, looking for Jaspert, that ninny she had to call a brother.

A strong arm wrapped around her neck, forcing her to her knees. "Dylan!"

The cry from the figure behind her explained it all. Jaspert, her older brother by two years, had her in a headlock. She freed herself from her grip and embraced him.

"Hey there, _cuz_," she said, the fake endearment weighing heavily on her tongue. Before Jaspert could say anything else, Deryn heard a shriek behind her. She turned to see Dr. Nora Barlow running into the arms of a man.

When Dr. Barlow had finished embracing the man, she turned to Deryn. "Mr. Sharp, this is my husband, Alan Barlow and my daughter, Joan, and my son Thomas." A young girl stepped out from behind her parents, clutching to her mother's skirts, while a rosy-cheeked baby slept peacefully in his father's arms. "Say hello, Joan," her mother prompted.

The chubby toddler waved shyly, and then buried her face in her mother's skirts. Dr. Barlow laughed, so light-heartedly, in fact, that Deryn was shocked. Was it really possible that this was the same formal woman she had been traveling for these past several months?

"Come on," Jaspert said as he tugged her away from the happy family. "We need to talk."

As they walked away, Deryn muttered. "I nearly forgot, you're a clart-headed ninny. What are you doing?"

They reached a park bench several hundred yards away from the Leviathan's touchdown site. Jaspert made her sit down, his eyes clear of the happiness they had been shining from just a few minutes before. "Deryn, Mum's sick. Real sick. I just got the correspondence from Auntie May just a few weeks ago."

All of Deryn's insults directed at her older brother vanished as the news sunk in. "What happened?" she demanded. "Tell me everything!" She was on the brink of hysteria now. She had already lost one parent, what would she do if she lost the other? All of her logical thought was slipping away, replaced with panic and fear.

Jaspert's answer to her demands was to pull out Auntie May's telegram and read it to her. Deryn nervously wrung her aviator's gloves in her hands, clinging to every detail. When he had finished, she stood up and started pacing.

"I've got to go back," she muttered. "It's all my fault. I left her alone at home, and I broke her heart. How could I have been so blind?" She was talking to herself more than anyone else.

"Well, then," Jaspert muttered. "Back to Glasgow it is, then."


	2. Chapter 2

CH 2

Alek stared out of the window of the carriage, contemplating the streets of Vienna. The war had taken a hard toll on the city, and it was noticeable. The streets were lined with beggars and drunks, while small Clanker vehicles roamed the alleyways.

_Clanker_, Alek thought. He had to stop think in this way of Clankers and Darwinists. Those days were behind him now. He was an Archduke, heir to the throne of his father, and then there was the enemy- Godless men with no respect for nature's ways.

It pained Alek to think this way, but he knew that it was true. He had to forget his time on the _Leviathan_- had he actually thought that place was his home?

The carriage finally slowed to a stop on the cobblestones outside of the Hofburg Palace of Vienna. A refined and poised woman waited on the palace steps. Alek scrambled out of the carriage, followed closely by Count Volger, Otto Klopp, and the other engineers that had accompanied him.

The woman on the steps was Alek's half-aunt, Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth Amalie of Liechtenstein. She was very pretty, with wispy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. "Alek, how are you?" she asked, taking his arms and kissing both of his cheeks.

"Hello, your Highness," Alek said, bowing. Elisabeth shook her head.

"No, no, Alek. Don't go through the motions here. We're family!" she exclaimed. Alek silently wondered if his grandfather would think the same thing. He patted the satchel at his side, feeling for the letter case that contained the letter from the pope, revoking the inheritance law from Franz and Sophie's marriage.

The throne room was immediately to the right upon entering, and as Alek entered, he saw his grandfather, Archduke Karl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, sitting in his throne. He stood upon entering, and bowed.

Alek returned the bow, his untrimmed brown hair falling across his forehead. He could feel the cold formality of the court weighing down on him like a burden on a pack mule. Did he not belong anywhere?

"Aleksander Ferdinand," his grandfather began. His accent was sharper than most, and his voice was gruff, like he was living with a chronic cold.

"Aleksander," the Archduke continued, "do you know why you have been brought here?"

"To live at the Royal Palace in hopes of proving myself worthy of obtaining which is not rightfully mine," Alek recited dutifully, if not in a monotone way. The part of his brain that he had suppressed all day was screaming at him that it was all a lie, that it was rightfully Alek's, but he pushed it back again. This was the same part of him that had believed that he had belonged on the _Leviathan_.

"That's right," the archduke replied. "Let me see this letter."

Alek pulled the letter from the Holy Father and passed it to his grandfather. The Archduke pulled the stopper of the letter case off and examined the contents inside. His thick mustache twitched, and he absentmindedly stroked it. Alek could tell that this man, who was supposed to be his kinsman, was agitated.

"Very well," the Archduke finally said. "You shall spend a few years here at court, performing small diplomatic errands. Perhaps, over time, you can earn the estate that is yours by law. If you are exceptionally good, maybe I can find an exception to add some more to your inheritance."

Alek's heart should have jumped into his throat at the prospect, but the thrill was long gone. Alek silently wondered if it had been there at all.

Alek was escorted out of the throne room by Elisabeth, who chattered about little things like the weather and the servant girl that had tripped and dirtied all of the newly washed linens. Alek was glad for a distraction, but he couldn't help and tune his aunt out. Volger trudged behind him, quietly studying the young duke, but Alek ignored him. They could argue later.

As Alek entered his suite, he couldn't help but let the stress wash away. He was safe here, unlike on the _Leviathan_, where death was just around every turn. He could finally relax and renew, now that he knew that he wasn't in any more danger.

A maid led servant to his bath, where he sunk to his neck in warm water and bubble bath. As Alek scrubbed away the dirt, so did the panic. An overwhelming feeling of peace flowed over him, as warm and smooth as melted butter.

A million questions ran through Alek's mind, but he pushed them back. They could wait another day.


	3. Chapter 3

CH. 3

**I want to ask forgiveness from you guys. Real life just keeps catching up! And, I'm sorry for writing Alek off as a**_** dummkopf**_**. It's all for a cause! Anyways, I should have more time to work on my stories now, so chapters should be coming more regularly! Thanks for your support!**

Deryn stared at the window, the light from the lamps reflecting the image of the compartment back to her. Jaspert was reading that morning's paper, while messages lizards scurried through their delivery tubes overhead.

She scratched at the sleeves of her dress. The entire pink monstrosity was lined with lace, and Deryn silently cursed her brother out for making her transformation into a girl so soon after getting back. Her blonde hair barely reached her shoulders, and it was starting to curl in the humid weather.

Thunder rumbled outside, loud and foreboding. Deryn was taken back to her first time on a Huxley, when she had nearly been smashed, incinerated, not to mention completely soaked before getting picked up by the airship that had been her home for those long months.

A pang of remorse ran up and down the length of her spine, making her shift uncomfortably in her seat. Jaspert glanced over, but paid her no mind. She'd been doing it for the entirety of the trip. Even the smallest reminders set her memories spinning.

The compartment slid open, letting in the muffled noise. Deryn glanced up to see a very tall man- no, boy. He had golden blond hair with chocolate brown eyes, and his face was slightly rounded.

"Hello." His voice was a rich baritone, and he was staring curiously at Deryn. "I couldn't help but notice, ma'am that you look very much like a girl that I went to school with."

"Really," Deryn said, trying to hide the sarcasm and indifference.

"May I ask your name?" The boy was starting to get on her nerves.

"Deryn," she replied. "Deryn Sharp."

The boy rocked back on his heels. "Butter me up and serve me on toast, it _is_ you!"

"May I be kind enough to ask where I know you from?" Deryn started to get to her feet, but Jaspert waved her down behind the boy's back.

"Deryn, don't you recognize me?" he asked. "Hubie Brown, from primary school?"

The sudden memory of the mischievous boy who enjoyed dipping her braids in blue ink struck Deryn's recollections, and she let out an involuntary snort.

"Hubie Brown. It really is you, then?"

"In the flesh and at your service."He swept a bow and grinned.

"Did you need something?" Deryn asked.

"Just wanted to make sure it was you," Hubie replied.

"Hubie!" Another voice called from the hall. "Come on! Dinner's starting!"

"Ah! Got to go. We should catch up sometime!" Hubie called as he was dragged off to the dinner car by his pals.

"You don't seriously plan on meeting up with that guy, do you?" Jaspert asked, standing to shut the compartment door.

"Don't worry," Deryn said. "I wouldn't go near that guy with a ten foot pole. Not after what he did to my braids."

Jaspert laughed. "Was he the one that did that, then? Your hair was green for a week!"

Deryn glared at her brother, trying to hide her spreading grin. She couldn't hold it, and she quietly chuckled. It felt good to laugh, and she stored Jaspert's laugh in her memory. It'd been so long since he had laughed.

Maybe leaving the _Leviathan_ wasn't so bad after all.

The train pulled into the Glasgow station a little after nine o'clock that night. The darkness was penetrated by the shouts of the station masters, the contented purr of the giant locomotives, and the rain. The rain was soaking everything in sight. Even the fabricated whale-skin tarps were shuddering, trying to shake the pooling water off.

Deryn and Jaspert wove through the streets of the city, clutching their few belongings tight under their overcoats. Their hair was plastered to their scalps and water clung to their skin. Vagabonds and beggars huddled under boxes and overcoats, and the shop windows were all dark, leaving only streetlights to illuminate the drenched city.

The Sharp residence was a quaint little cottage on the outskirts of the city. There were plenty of wide-open spaces, which had been perfect for Dad's flight experiments before his untimely death.

Auntie May was waiting on the porch, wrapped in a shawl and holding a lamp. "Come on in, dearies. She's been asking for you."

Though Mum always had a habit of annoying Deryn, seeing her like this was heart wrenching. Her normally rosy complexion had a sickly green tinge, and those strong hands that could cinch a corset to the point of suffocation were thin and trembling.

"Deryn? Is that you?" Even her voice, usually so strong from barking orders at their poor cook Maryella, was quiet and weak.

"It's me, Mum," Deryn whispered. "I'm home."

"I was so worried," Mum scolded. "After you ran off, I didn't know what happened. Than Jaspert wrote and told me what you'd done. I was so worried that you would get shot, or drowned, or..." She struggled up onto her elbows. "Are you wearing a dress?" She coughed violently, sending her back into the pillows. "Sweetie, I'm so proud!"

Deryn sighed. "She must be getting better," she whispered to Jaspert.

"Indeed she is," the doctor said as he stepped out of the shadows. "Just a violent strain of pneumonia is all. She'll be up and about in a few weeks." He handed Deryn a small bottle of antibiotics. "She should take one of these every day until she stops wheezing. Make sure she does, even if you have to grind it up and serve it in her morning cocoa."

"I will not take one!" Mum coughed. "The things are nasty!"

"Here," the doctor breathed. He also handed Deryn a bottle of sedatives. "Just in case you get too tired of her," he whispered.

Deryn nodded. "Will do, sir."

The doctor nodded and, donning his bowler hat, (_Boffin,_ Deryn thought), left the room to return to his own home.

"Go to sleep, Mum," Jaspert said, forcing her back onto the pillows and pulling the comforter up to her chin.

Deryn went back to her old room. Everything was just as she had left it. The walls were the same pastel yellow, and the simple four-poster still had the calico-patterned comforter. Deryn, shutting the door behind her, peeled off the itchy torture device and stepped into her worn sky-blue pajamas. She slipped inside the familiar blanket, and slept deeply.


End file.
